Locals celebrate, reconnect with Attakapas heritage

1:46 AM,
Jul. 28, 2014

An elder leads the opening procession at Saturday's gathering of the Louisiana Attakapas Opelousas Prairie Tribe. The annual event took place at the Opelousas Farmers Market. See a photo gallery at dailyworld.com.

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The federal and state governments do not recognize the Attakapas people as an official Native American tribe.

That doesn't matter a bit to the people who visited the Opelousas' Farmer's Market pavilion Saturday for the tribe's annual gathering. They browsed displays about traditional basket- and jewelry-making, listened to live flute and drum performances and joined the grand entrance to the accompaniment of recorded chants from a boom box.

The event attracted the committed - women and men dressed in the tribe's regalia - and the curious, like Mary and Joseph Eaglin of Lawtell. ...